The winning strategy of the Design Centre

120 exhibitors, over 100 immersive experiences. What are the main events and news of Focus/17?

Visitors can explore the fascinating journey, from concept to reality, of defining new season collections. This year will see the biggest offering to date. A stellar line-up of international tastemakers take to the main stage including Patricia Urquiola, Nipa Doshi, Katharine Pooley, Madeleine Weinrib, William Yeoward, and many more. With a burgeoning interest in the design narrative, interactive Access All Areas sessions in the showrooms have never been more popular. There are opportunities to meet design heroes such as Lorenzo Castillo at Abbott & Boyd, Korean designer Teo Yang at Savoir Beds, Ashley Hicks at GP & J Baker and Martin Brudnizki at Porta Romana. At workshops, visitors can try their hand like carving a tile in raw clay at Artisans of Devizes. There are cooking demonstrations at Espresso Design, discussions on social media at Topfloor by Esti and Kohler Co’s Mark Bickerstaffe will be in West One Bathrooms. There are new dining experiences, imaginative pop-ups and bespoke installations (you can’t miss the stunning spectacle by Cutture or the relaxing Sensory Salon).This fusion of design encounters, together with opportunities to connect with 600+ leading international brands, offers a dynamic collective unseen anywhere else.

What about the exhibitors?

Focus/17 is a fixture on the international design calendar. Nowhere else will you find such a high concentration of design’s biggest names shaping interiors today – all at one event. There is remarkable design diversity – 120 international showrooms will showcase the latest launches in both the domes and Design Centre East. The common thread is quality, with creativity, skilled craftsmanship and technical ability lying at the heart of the offering. From contemporary classic and cutting-edge to high performance, it is a veritable treasure trove of exceptional fabrics, furniture, lighting, wallcoverings, accessories, kitchens, bathrooms, outdoor living, trimmings, leather and carpets that will inspire and amaze.

Focus/17 is hosted at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour. How much has this area grown?

Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, the largest design centre of its kind in Europe, has long been a catalyst of creative connections, but now an exciting new chapter is unfolding. With strategic expansion on the horizon, some highly influential names moving in and a landmark building project underway, the sense of community that already exists is set to get stronger. The spotlight is on Design East which now boasts 40 showrooms. Focus/17 will see a host of new arrivals including Arteriors, Julian Chichester, Villeroy & Boch, Lacaze London and Siberian Floors. For visitors, there are even more opportunities to get together, connect with design connoisseurs and engage with experts in their fields. Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour is bricks, mortar and beyond.